Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-hooded Sierra Finch
Phrygilus gayi
Grey-hooded Sierra Finch (Phrygilus gayi) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch (Phrygilus gayi) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 25.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Phrygilus
- Species gayi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch (Phrygilus gayi) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Chile and Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.6 g, with a wing length of about 8.2 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 845,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch?
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch is a small bird that weighs around 25.6 g.
Where does the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch live?
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch is found across South America with a range covering SA Chile and Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch belong to?
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch (Phrygilus gayi) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch eat?
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch migrate?
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey-hooded Sierra Finch's range?
The Grey-hooded Sierra Finch has a mapped global range of about 845,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.